


fly me up on a silver wing

by sleeponrooftops



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2012-12-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 04:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeponrooftops/pseuds/sleeponrooftops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>II of castle of glass trilogy.</i>  He doesn’t want to open his eyes, doesn’t want to see that fire around him, doesn’t want to think about it slowly consuming him, but he’s always been too curious for his own good, and, as he finally looks out at the world around him, tears well up in his eyes and burn before they can fall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	fly me up on a silver wing

**Author's Note:**

> A few small discrepancies—
> 
> i. So, I definitely started this thing as just a small idea, but, as seems to be the progression of everything I write, it turned into something much more. This is going to be a three-part series, and it is my belief that the first can be read as a standalone, though they do also go together. The core of the series is about the evolution of Jack, and so the first one will be looking at a few scenes from the film, and then the second and third will be post-film. I think those will go more cohesively together, though there’s always that underlying core of _Jack Frost_ to tie all three together. There’s just a character in this one and the third one that will connect the last two more. That said, you certainly don’t have to have read the first part before you read this, especially considering I haven’t written it yet. For some reason, I seem to do this a lot, post things out of order. Oops.
> 
> ii. On the topic of parts, each will be rated differently, though they will progress. The first is pg13, this will be pg13, and the last looks like it’ll be r. So, if you’re uncomfortable with mature content, just don’t read the third part.
> 
> iii. I changed Manny’s name half because I don’t really like it and half because everyone else has names that are coherent to what they are. But, I did choose Jace because I’m flailing over _The Mortal Instruments_ at the moment, so there’s that.

_August 8._

Three years after Jack had risen from the lake and figured out the base parameters of his job as the winter spirit, he’d finally decided it was time to leave the safety of the states, and he’d traveled first to Europe, amazed at how different everything was.  He’d given them a long winter, cold and sharp, children squealing in the streets, balls of snow flying amongst them.  Jack loved Europe, but he always returned to the states, careful to give them always a little extra, a surprise snow day here or there, a ghosting of his telltale ice designs on their windows, anything that made them smile.  After a few years exploring Europe, though, he’d gained a reputation, and parents called out to their children to be careful, Jack Frost was out and looking to cause mischief.  It made him smile, the way the children would shriek and cover their noses, giggling.

 

When Europe became as familiar as the states, Jack went south, for the first time seeking out South America, Africa, Australia, and _New Zealand_.  He’d been in Australia when he first heard about New Zealand, with its tall, towering mountains, always dusted with snow.  The idea thrilled him, and he’d sought it out immediately, his laugh bouncing around the mountains as he dove into huge piles of snow, breathed in the thin, lung-shattering cold air, raining snow farther down the mountains.

 

He made a home in New Zealand, tunneled out his own little place to lay his head when summer fell upon the north.  The south had never had much use for snow, even in the winter, and so he hibernated, flew yawning to his home in the mountains at the end of every northern winter.  The mouth of the tunnel erupted into a straight drop, which Jack always slid down, smiling as the winding depths he’d created pulled him along, icy beneath him.  His little home always shone, white and sparkling, ice enveloping the small cave he’d dug out at the end of his tunnel, a length of snow against the farther wall where he burrowed and slept.  He let the summer spirit claim the world, a cheerful girl a few centuries older than him that he’d met a handful of times, and he waited until the wind howled in his tunnels, lifting the snow in a crazed flurry around him, pulling him from his slumber so that he might bring the world into his wonderland again.

 

The summer after Pitch, at the start of May, two weeks after he’d stumbled bleary-eyed and exhausted into his bank of snow, Tooth hosted her annual summer bash.  Since North and Bunny had their respective Christmas and Easter parties, and Sandy had even claimed Halloween as his party time, Tooth had long ago claimed the beginning of May as hers.  When the guardians gathered at the palace, laughing and happy to relax, it wasn’t long before they noticed that it was just a little too hot.  They’d panicked, worried for their newest friend and where he might have gone, and Tooth had nervously sent an army of faeries out to search the world.  When they came back empty-handed a few hours later, Bunny had frowned and opened a tunnel while North fished out his snow globe.  Deep in New Zealand, a furious wind threw Jack from his snow bank, and he landed on the ice with a yelp.  He’d taken only a moment to gather his wits before he was off, soaring for the North Pole with a pit of worry forming in his belly.

 

Upon arriving, the yetis had started shouting, and he only caught snippets before he was changing his path to the palace.  Once there, seeing Bunny popping out of a tunnel shrugging and North fidgeting in an armchair, he almost turned right around and went back to hibernation.  There was no trouble, but the wind had awoken him for a reason.  After the initial relief when Jack landed before them, everything had come out.  Tooth had apologized, realizing he had no way to know that she held an annual summer bash, and then Jack had sighed and told them about hibernating in the south, and then it had been all too obvious how heavily he leaned on his staff, his eyes dark with exhaustion.

 

Now, he didn’t hibernate until the second of May, but instead meandered around at the pole for the last two weeks of April before they all gathered at the palace, and then he was off to New Zealand, tucking into his ice and snow for the summer.  It had been four years since his first summer bash, and his body was slowly getting used to the two extra weeks, though he attributed that to the wind waking him a little later in September now.

 

And so, when August came around and the mouth of Jack’s tunnels melted, water sliding down and pooling in his cave, he was already deep in his snow, breathing slowly, his staff tucked beside him, his mind faraway.  Sandy sometimes let his dreamsand whisper through the air of his cave, brought smiles to Jack’s face as he slumbered, but it wasn’t this that twitched Jack’s expression in the midst of August.  He frowned as the snow around felt slippery instead of thick and soft, packed around him, and he struggled up from his deep sleep, made more difficult without the wind’s help.

 

The cave had become a quickening pool of water, but the water in the tunnels hissed and evaporated as a pair of orange boots slowly made their way inside.  When Jack finally awoke with a gasp, pulling away from the melting snow, reaching for air, the cave was aflame, red and orange and yellow licking over his ice and raining down around him.  He screamed, fumbling for his staff and finding only water.  When he turned, a woman stood there, his staff slowly burning in her hands.  And then he saw blackness.

 

\--

_August 17._

 

When her third faerie comes back injured, Tooth gathers a few faeries and makes her way to the North Pole.

 

When she arrives, Sandy is there and ranting furiously.  “Tooth?” North says as she approaches, “What are you doing here?”

 

“It appears that Sandy and I have a similar problem,” she says, watching him relate the vicious wind currents that have been disturbing his dreamsand.  “Three of my faeries have been injured during their travels because of the wind.  They’ve overheard other spirits talking about their struggles, as well.  Have either of you spoken to Bunny?”

 

When they both shake their heads, Tooth frowns and North produces his snow globe.  It’s been quite some time since they were threatened by the natural elements of the world, and they still shudder at the reminder of the last Ice Age.

 

“Warren,” North says into the globe before throwing it.  A portal opens, and they step through, almost instantly being thrown into a wall.  North grabs Sandy and Tooth, shielding them from the angry, relentless wind whipping through the tunnels.  The mouth leading into the warren isn’t far, and North hurries them through, staggering when they erupt into the eerily quiet main room.  Bunny is sitting not far from them, shoulders slumped.  “Bunny!” North calls, jogging over, “What's happened?”

 

Bunny jumps at his voice, turning.  “Six days I’ve been trapped down here!  What the _hell_ is going on?”

 

Tooth shakes her head, frowning.  “It's not safe here,” North says after a moment, looking around.  As he takes out his globe again, Bunny starts to back away, but North just tosses him through the portal before following.

 

Back at the North Pole, everyone is talking loudly, trying to be heard over the others, golden images flashing through furiously above Sandy’s head until Tooth suddenly stops, sighs, and lets out a shrill whistle.  Her faeries seemed unfazed by the noise, but the others flinch and cower away from it, frowning.  “This isn’t helping,” she says finally, “Bunny, you said this started happening about a week ago?”

 

“Aye,” Bunny sighs, “Wind like I’ve never felt before whipping through the tunnels.  I haven’t been able to leave since it started.”

 

“And North, you said the yetis can’t leave the castle without endangering themselves?”

 

“It’s bloody crazy out there,” North grumbles, folding his arms over his chest.

 

“When did that start?”

 

“About a week ago, actually,” he admits, looking over at Bunny with a frown.

 

“Right, and my first faerie was brought back around the same time.  Sandy, how long has your dreamsand been blowing off course?”  They watch as he relates the past week to them, and Tooth nods after a moment.  Not only has his dreamsand been disturbed, the currents are so strong his cloud has been rendered nearly useless—he’s been casting his dreamsand from roofs for the past couple days as the wind worsened.  “Whatever it is—” Tooth begins, “—it’s big, and it’s affecting each of us _at the same time_.  I know we agreed they didn’t exist, but—”

 

“They _don’t_ exist,” Bunny interrupts, “Tooth, you know that as well as the rest of us.  Every spirit out there, guardian or not, knows that the elements are just elements.  There’s no such thing as _Wind_.  It’s just— _wind_.”

 

“There is very definitive proof that Mother Nature exists,” Tooth argues, and North sighs but nods.

 

A clock pops up over Sandy’s head, and North says, “And Father Time, as well.  But, Tooth, that’s a fairytale.”

 

“Are we not fairytales to some people?” she counters, looking over at him, “Not everyone on the planet believes in us—we’re just stories that parents tell their children.  They have their fairytales, and we have ours, but theirs are real, so why aren’t ours?  I _know_ that it’s a bizarre notion, but Jace has confirmed that Adrian and Leah are his siblings, so why shouldn’t we believe in Leah’s daughters?”

 

“Because there’s no _definitive proof_ that they exist,” Bunny says, shaking his head, “No one has ever spoken with or seen them.  They’re not real.  This is someone else messing with us, some relative of Pitch’s or something.”  Sandy produces a golden glacier, and North sighs loudly.  “Oh, come on, big guy,” Bunny says, turning to him, “You can’t honestly believe that the Ice Age was caused by the elements.”

 

“It’s one version of the story,” North says, “It’s also been said that Jack created the Ice Age, but we all know that wasn’t true.  Bunny, you know Jack.  You know he’d already have bragged about it.  He— _Jack_.”

 

“Oh my goodness!” Tooth exclaims, clapping a hand over her mouth as her eyes go wide.  “How could we forget about him?” she gasps after a moment, “How can we find him?”

 

“We can’t,” Bunny says, frowning, “Tunnels are out of the question, we have no idea where he might be to use the globe, and we can’t leave the castle.  We’re trapped.  If Jack is—” Bunny’s cut off as the windows above the globe suddenly shatters, raining glass down through the castle.  Tooth screams and reaches for her faeries, holding them close to her as North runs forward, shouting for the elves and yetis to take cover.  “ _North_!” Bunny shrieks, but the large pane of glass crashes over his head before Bunny can reach him.

 

North looks up as the glass turns to water, soaking him.  The other falling shards do the same, and North and Bunny exchange a look before Bunny nods.  Tooth looks up from shielding her faeries, looking between them.  Sandy produces an image of rain being blown in a strange direction.  Bunny nods again before looking back to North, who straightens, turning his face up to the moon.  “Jace—” he begins, “—we understand.  Leah’s daughters… are real.  Can you—”

 

“I thought I was going to have to create a tornado to finally get your attention,” a feminine voice says.  It’s like a song, her voice curling around them and whispering an echo of her words.  They turn as the glass ceases to fall, the force of the wind gathering to accumulate around a spot a few feet from where North stands.  It hovers in the air, currents swirling until they’re visible, and then, slowly, a pale, freckled leg appears, a small white boot over the foot.  Another leg appears, and then a woman is unfolding from the currents, the noise from their movement quieting as she sinks to the ground, knees wobbling.  She exhales audibly, staggering forward, and North quickly holds out a hand to aid her, which she takes, head bowed.  After a moment, she lifts her head, looking around at each of them with brilliant blue eyes.

 

“I apologize,” she says, her voice whispering through the air, a slow tune, “It has been quite some time since I was contained in a body.  Thank you,” she adds to North, flashing a blue-lipped smile up at him before she steps away from him.  She is steady, though her hands shake a little, pale and freckled like the rest of her.  A light blue dress hugs over her small frame, sleeves down to her wrists, collar splitting in a small v around her neck, and hem falling down in long tears over her thighs.  Her eyes are embellished with a splash of blue and a smattering of dots that comingle with her freckles.  Her hair, still settling from the wind, fades from white to blue, trailing in long, _long_ straight waves until it piles on the floor at her feet.

 

“I am Iris,” she says suddenly, smiling again, “And you are the guardians.  Thank for believing in me.  I would not be here otherwise.”

 

“So, it has been you?” North is the first to speak.

 

“Aye, it has.  My—” she pauses, frowning and looking up toward the window, “I apologize for your window.  It seems my sister arrived just in time.  Maya?” she calls to the empty air, and a wave of water flows through the banister, leaking over onto the carpet until it solidifies into a dark teal.  A head of wavy, long hair erupts from the water until a face follows, not nearly as pale as Iris, but much lighter than her sisters.  Iris steps forward to help her stand, waiting until she opens her eyes.

 

“Where are we?” she asks, her voice hoarse and deep, like a thundering waterfall.

 

“The North Pole,” Iris says, “Are you alright?”

 

“I feel—seasick,” she says after a moment, finally looking up.  Her eyes match her hair, and she has the same splash of color on her eyelids and over her brows as her sister, her lips the same color.  She wears a long, strapless teal dress in the shape of leaves, a gift from her sister of earth, Willow.  Sinking around her elbows is a thin teal shawl, and Iris pulls this up over her shoulders, taking one of her hands after to rub it.

 

“It’ll pass,” she soothes, and Maya nods, swaying a little until Iris holds her around the waist.  “I’m sorry,” she says, looking up to the guardians, “It’s difficult after so long to maintain a form.  Is there somewhere she can sit?  It’s always been a little worse for Maya than the rest of us.”

 

“Of course!” North exclaims, and a yeti is already rushing to clear one of the armchairs of toys.  Iris helps her sister to sit in the chair, and she draws her bare feet up under her, dress falling in folds around her.

 

“Thank you,” she says softly, closing her eyes again.

 

North nods, exchanging a glance with Bunny before looking back to Iris, who turns and clasps her hands together, letting them hang in front of her.  “I’ve sent Willow to fix any damage done to your tunnels, Bunnymund—” she says, “—though I am afraid it is all that I might save face for.  I am deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused you over the past week, but I couldn’t think of another way to gain your attention.  It was hard enough communicating with my sisters.  Toothiana, I do hope your faeries are alright.  I tried to help them back to the palace with easier currents, and I believe they arrived safely.”

 

“They’ve seen better days,” Tooth admits, frowning, “Why have you looked to us, if I may?”

 

“You’ve already thought of the answer, strange as it is,” Iris says, holding out her hands, palms up, “You did not think to call upon Jack Frost to see if he had received any trouble from the wind.  I am here because I cannot find him.”

 

“Wait a minute,” Bunny says, stepping forward, “ _You_ can’t find Frostbite?  I thought you were the one that carried him around everywhere.”

 

“I am,” Iris says, nodding slowly, but it does nothing to diminish the tears that fill her eyes, “I haven’t felt the steady presence of his dreams in eight days.  They are always a constant in my daily travels during the summer, a lifeline that reminds me he is safe.   It disappeared in the middle of the night, and I can’t find him.”

 

“I assume you’ve actually searched for him, and, if anyone, you would be able to find him,” Maya says suddenly, and they look over to find her sitting a little straighter, her eyes open again, “He has disappeared.”

 

“I fear—” Iris breaks off, looking to Maya who nods once, “I fear our sister has him.”

 

“Fire?” Tooth asks, and Iris nods.

 

“Aysh,” Maya says, “I haven’t spoken to her in years, though I’ve seen her damage plenty.”  When Iris looks to her sister, Maya shakes her head, “You don’t interact with her because you’re so busy all over the world, constantly.  Mostly, I just tend to my lakes and rivers, though most of my concentration goes toward the oceans and the rain, but there is always a fire burning somewhere that seeks only to destroy.  The last time I spoke with Willow, she was in such pain.”

 

“How could I not notice?” Iris says, frowning deeply.

 

“Don’t worry, please,” Maya says, “It’s not your fault.  She has always been distant from us.  If she has Jack, though, she will ruin him.”

 

“I have nowhere else to turn,” Iris says, looking back to North, “My mother is unreachable, and our uncles won’t listen to my pleas.  For Jack, I ask your help.”

 

Silence settles after her words, and it is North that finally speaks, “May we have a word alone?”

 

“Yes, of course,” Iris says, moving to help her sister stand.

 

“Please,” North stops her, “Stay.  We will return in a moment.”  Iris nods, watching them go, and Maya reaches out to grasp her hand as they disappear down the halls toward North’s office.

 

“They will not ignore you, sister,” Maya says, squeezing her hand, “I think it is time we called for Willow.”

 

“She will not be happy about being summoned,” Iris says, a slight smile curling her mouth.

 

“She may know where our mother is, though.  I’ve heard rumors that they’ve been sighted together before.”  Iris just quirks an eyebrow before turning her gaze back toward where the guardians had left.

 

Inside North’s office, it is silent until North sighs and says, “It’s August.  Jack should be in New Zealand, though I think it’s safe to assume Iris knows this and has already checked.  She’s the one that wakes him every year, and you remember that first year, at your party, Tooth.  It was because of her that he knew something was amiss.  If he’s not there, where else could he be?”

 

“Maybe he found somewhere new, somewhere better,” Tooth offers, wringing her hands together.

 

“He’s been there for a good long time,” Bunny reminds them, “I asked him about it once, said he’d been there for at least two centuries now, probably longer.  I doubt there’s anywhere better.”

 

“One of the poles?” North says, “He could be up here for all we know, or south.  At any rate, I think we should trust the elements.”  Tooth nods her agreement, and Baby does, as well, from near her shoulder, looking worried.  After a moment, Bunny sighs and nods, as does Sandy.  “It’s settled, then,” North says, “Let’s go figure this out.”

 

When they return to the fireplace, only Maya remains, sitting cross-legged on her chair with her hands in front of her, cupped together around a small pool of water.  When they approach, she looks up and smiles.  “Iris went to summon our sister of earth, Willow.  It needs to be done elsewhere, where there’s no snow.  She’s in—” she pauses, looking back down at her hands, “—Brazil right now, I believe.  I think that’s where Willow was last sighted.”

 

Sandy floats over curiously, hovering near Maya and peering into her hands.  His face lights up as he does, and images start to flash over his head.  The other guardians follow as best as they can, watching as he describes how Maya can produce an image to watch Iris in her water.  In her hands, the water shimmers white and blue, a barely-there figure crouching on the ground in the middle of a jungle, scooping the earth below her into a small jar.  “She’ll be back in a few moments, I believe,” Maya says, “Have you reached a decision?”

 

“We would like to help you, in any way that we can,” Tooth says immediately, “Jack is—he’s like a son to us.  He’s very important.”  North puts a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her, and she reciprocates the expression, though worry still tugs at her face.

 

They wait in silence until a gust of wind blows through the hole in the ceiling, and Iris steps gracefully from the currents near Maya, only stumbling a little this time.  She is holding the jar as she inhales, the wind settling around her.  When she passes the jar over to Maya, her sister frowns in confusion, but Iris just turns away from her, going over to the balcony overlooking the workshop.

 

North’s eyes widen as she lifts her hands and exhales, gusts of wind springing from her palms and fingers and coursing through the workshop.  The others look on as she plays with the currents, smiling softly to herself as the shards of glass fit together, raising through the workshop until they settle against the ceiling, back in place.  She holds them there, the fingers on her right hand swirling through the air as she creates a circular current beneath them, the fingers on her left expanding to give it stability.

 

“I _hate_ the cold,” a voice interrupts them, and the guardians turn to see the element of earth crossing the distance between her two sisters easily, her feet steady and sure.  When she comes to stand next to Iris, she kneels, shaking her hand above the floor so that small droplets of dirt pool into a little pile.  She lays her hand over it, closes her eyes, and then flicks her hand out, sending a continuous stream of solid earth to wedge through the cracks, Iris’ currents solidifying them.

 

When they’re finished, Iris smiles and turns, “Willow.”

 

“You better have a damn good reason for taking me away from Brazil.  Do you even know how warm it is down there right now?  Goodness, such a vacation from your little boyfriend,” Willow grumbles, and Bunny snorts laughter.

 

“Willow,” Iris says again, “I’d like to introduce you to Nicholas St. North, Queen Toothiana, E. Aster Bunnymund, and Sanderson Mansnoozie, the guardians.”

 

“The _guardians_ ,” Willow says, turning, a smirk lifting up one corner of her green lips.  She’s darker than her sisters, tan from her time spent working under the bright, high sun, though her short, spiky hair is darker, brown and flecked with dirt.  Her skin is covered in dark freckles, much like Iris, and she wears brown and green, two brown leaves over her torso, her freckled stomach bare.  Green shorts cover her bottom, laced together up the sides with branches, akin to that of her laced brown arm bands.  Her eyes, also green, are not nearly as bright as her sisters’, though the smattering of green dots down the middle of her forehead helps to bring them out.

 

“Well, what a treat,” she continues, and then her smirk fades as she turns back to Iris, “Wait.  Why am I being introduced to the guardians?  Oh god, Iris, no.”  Iris nods, her lower lip trembling.  “Have you checked the mountains?”

 

Iris looks away for a moment, shaking a little, before she says, “His cave is gone.  It’s been _melted_.  It was still smoking last I checked.”

 

Silence follows her words.

 

\--

 

Jack shivers, his body shaking, and a short, hollow laugh rips from his throat.  He has been reduced to human reactions to changes in temperature, finally, after over a week of this, and now he shivers as the last of the cold starts to seep out of his body, a surging blast of frigid safety before he really falls.  He’d been able to shield himself, mostly, from the world around him, kept his body curled in on itself, emanating as much cold as he dared, a chill so deep it rattled his bones, reminded him he was okay, he was safe for now, until now, until his bones felt like jello and his skin started to sweat.

 

He was beginning to flush, little pink splotches bursting over his white skin as the heat took over, finally claiming him, perspiration pooling around him and making the scorching ground slippery.  It sizzled and hissed, a wave of mist clouding around him.  He couldn’t move away from it even if he wanted to.  The first day, before he’d truly understood, just after the element of fire had tossed him into the room, he’d ran at her, fists falling against the wall as it closed over her, and then the fire had started.  He’d jumped back as it crawled from the ceiling, just as it had in his cave, flames sweeping over the walls and burning over the floor until Jack was sobbing, desperately trying to find solace until he stood amongst the fire.

 

Even then, he’d fought, closing his blue eyes and seeking out his power, willing the flames to snuff out with the force of his ice.  A single snowflake fell from his palm and was extinguished before he’d even had time to appreciate its beauty.  And then he’d laid down, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around himself, closing his eyes and folding in on the cold still pulsing within him, thinking of blizzards and frozen ponds and Jamie’s first snowball fight.  That was eight days ago.

 

Jack opens his eyes with a gasp, shaking as warmth spreads over him, ripping his last grip on winter with a sharp pain, tugging somewhere low in his belly like when Pitch had snapped his staff.  He remembers that feeling, remembers thinking he was going to die, agony tearing through him, bright white pain that blurred everything until he was falling down a cliffside.  Even landing hadn’t hurt as much as his staff breaking, and he’d been sore for weeks after the battle.  He can still feel the phantom burst in his belly sometimes, and he rubs at it, sometimes until his skin is raw with the feeling, and he knows the other guardians have noticed how that moment still haunts him.

 

He never thought he’d have to experience that again, but then the element of fire had made him watch as she burned his staff, and he hadn’t even been able to remain conscious.  Fire had always been his enemy, even before he knew that she was a real, living thing, and it had consumed the most integral part of him and left him feeling turned inside out, constantly burning.  And now, even the winter has been taken from him.

 

He draws in a shaking breath, fiery oxygen rasping in his lungs, clawing at his throat, and he chokes, body convulsing as he coughs.  He knows he’s dying, knows the elements are strong enough to do what Pitch couldn’t, knows that even Jamie believing wouldn’t save him now.

 

He doesn’t want to open his eyes, doesn’t want to see that fire around him, doesn’t want to think about it slowly consuming him, but he’s always been too curious for his own good, and, as he finally looks out at the world around him, tears well up in his eyes and burn before they can fall.  He just wants it to be over.

 

\--

 

North offers the three sisters a room for the night, and Tooth and Sandy leave to tend to their teeth and dreams.  “Are you sure there isn’t anything you need?” North asks a final time as he hovers in the doorway, the three sisters perched on separate beds.

 

“No, thank you, North,” Iris says with a small smile, “We’ll see you in the morning, as planned?”

 

“Aye, we’ll be there.  Sleep well.”

 

When he’s gone, the smile falls, and Maya immediately comes to sit next to her sister, taking her hand.  “We’ll find him,” she soothes.

 

“He doesn’t even know I exist,” Iris mumbles, “And we don’t know where Aysh’s lair is.”

 

“We’ll find it,” Willow says, getting up and coming to stand before them, flicking one of her hands out so that a green dress falls from it.  “I say we fight in fashion, though.  Go old school, to war like we used to.”

 

“And, for once, you’re fighting with us,” Maya says with a smirk.

 

“Listen, the Ice Age was a terrible idea, you can’t blame me for looking to Aysh for help.”

 

Maya just rolls her eyes, and Willow shrugs before going back over to her bed to change.  “Tell me about Jack,” Maya says after a moment, squeezing Iris’ hand, “What’s he like?”

 

Iris’ smile is small but bright, and she sighs before saying, “He’s— _so handsome_.”  Maya and Willow laugh, Maya standing to retreat to her bed to change, as well.  “Three hundred years ago—” Iris begins, “—I was playing with these children on an old lake, spinning them around and making them laugh.  And then, before I even realized what had happened, they were stopping, and the older one was taking off his skates.”  Iris pauses, looking down at her hands in her lap.

 

She can remember that day so clearly, the day she watched the young boy die, the day she felt as though her mother had betrayed her.  “I stopped immediately.  I sat on one of the trees, high, far away from them, trying to give them an advantage.  I didn’t want to risk causing them any harm, but it didn’t matter.  The boy had a staff, this crooked old shepherd’s thing, and he distracted his sister, kept her eyes on him instead of the breaking ice.  He saved her, pulled her away, and I didn’t dare move, not even breathe until they were safely on the banks.  And then he drowned.”

 

She lets out a breath, wind rustling through the room and playing with the teal strings dangling from Maya’s new dress.  It’s something she hasn’t seen in a very long time, since the Ice Age, teal sea shells wrapping around her body and the top of her thighs, a thin layer of seaweed dangling from them around her legs.  Maya comes to sit next to her, her bare legs dangling off the bed next to Iris’.  She has her teal cloak wrapped around her for warmth.  “Jack, before he was the winter spirit?” she asks, and Iris nods.

 

“I stayed on that tree all day, not breathing, not moving, terrified.  I knew it wasn’t my fault, but I couldn’t imagine that our mother could be so cruel.  I should have known that it wasn’t her doing, not entirely, that Uncle Jace had had something to do with it.  I almost left, when the sun set, when the night chill of winter required me.  I stood up, and I was about to leave when the moon came out, brilliant and shining.  He cast such a beautiful glow on the lake, frozen over now, where the boy had fallen, and I watched him be reborn.  I was there that night, as he danced around and discovered his new powers.  I carried him to the town, so excited.  I never thought he might be invisible like us.  I never thought bringing him back to his home would cause him such pain.  When the first person walked through him, I felt his pain as though it were my own.  I couldn’t breathe.  I couldn’t—I couldn’t dance a leaf up from the ground to try to distract myself.  I couldn’t move.”

 

“Iris,” Willow says, and she turns to look at her sister, “Why have you never told us this?”

 

“Do you think this means—” Maya breaks off, biting her lower lip.

 

“Of course it does,” Willow snaps, coming over to stand in front of Iris.  After a moment, she sits on her other side, frowning.  “You know the stories,” she says, “Why have you never told us this?”

 

“I didn’t believe it,” Iris admits, looking down at her hands again, “I couldn’t.  I’ve always—I’ve always known it, but I—I think that’s why I’ve always stayed with him, always been close at hand.”

 

“Because he’s your spirit,” Willow says, “Every element has one, and you found yours.”

 

“That’s never been proven,” Iris sighs.

 

“Iris,” Maya says, shaking her head, “It has.”  When Iris’ snaps her gaze up to her sister, Maya just shrugs and smiles.  “It is not difficult for me to take on a form.  It hasn’t been for quite some time—not since I met Vera.”

 

“The summer spirit?”

 

“Aye, she’s quite the feisty one.  We met about a century ago.  I never told you because you were always so busy.  You and Willow have always had a crazier life than Aysh and I.  But you felt it, too, when you first took your form.  You felt sluggish, though it was not because it has been some time since you took form, it’s because Jack is far from you, and he’s in trouble.  Vera is in Africa right now, and I am a long way from her.”

 

“And you?” Iris looks to Willow, who rolls her eyes dramatically.

 

“Yeah, actually.  Casey and I met kind of like you and Jack did, to be honest.  I was planting a few flowers near the base of a tree when I heard this thunderous noise like a mountain breaking in half.  It was a rock slide, and it buried a young boy, trapped him there until he climbed out the next morning, the spirit of spring, and the rocks were covered in moss and flowers.  It was back in the old days, when people actually believed in us, way back, right around the beginning of the Dark Ages, and it was love at first sight, I guess.”  Willow shrugs, her brown leaf shawl rising with her shoulders.

 

“I wonder if Aysh has a spirit,” Maya muses, fiddling with the clasp of her cloak.

 

“She does,” Willow says, “I’ve met him, the spirit of autumn.  He sucks.”  They fall silent for a moment before Willow stands and says, “Well, bedtime.  We’ve got a long day ahead of us.  Mum’s not gonna be too happy to see us all together.”

 

Maya nods in agreement before retreating to her bed where one of the elves left a small, long silver bowl at her request.  With a sigh, she steps into it and melts away, water rippling before it stills.  “That always freaks me out,” Willow mumbles, and Iris turns to her, quirking an eyebrow.  She only just glimpses Willow’s war gear, a green dress that hangs in two strips of leaves down the sides of her legs, her arm bands still laced on, a tree branch wound around her midsection, and her green stockings, strips of dirt wrapping around in stripes that disappear beneath her dress, before her sister becomes a pile of earth on her bed.

 

Iris is left alone, her sisters already far into slumber, but she knows she won’t be able to sleep, at least not in this warm room, surrounded by the comfort and safety of the pole.  She crosses over to the window, and the sharp bite of winter pulls at her, makes her tremble and want so deeply it hurts.  Her sob is cut off as she lets it consume her, disappearing to float amongst the chill.

 

\--

 

Jack opens his eyes quickly, inhaling a short, agonizing breath.  He’s careful to hold it, to not choke on the smoky exhale.  The noise sounds again, and he tries to push off the ground, but he’s trapped there, and, brow furrowed in confusion, he looks down the long pane of his body, choking on the exhale as he does.  “First time taking a peak?” she asks, and it’s only the second time he’s heard her talk, but he hates her voice already, harsh and smooth all at once, like the flames she loves.

 

Jack stares at his pink skin, the freckled white peeling away as it burns, other parts scorched black.  Before he has time to further inspect, though, a burning hand closes over his shoulder and jerks him onto his back, ripping a scream from him.  He tries to wrench away from the hand, but she squeezes, holding him there, burning the flesh of his shoulder.  “ _Please_!” he shouts, his voice raw and aching from disuse and smoke inhalation, “Please—please, stop.”

 

Her hand retreats, and he lifts his gaze to her, seeing her for the first time.  She is dark, her skin nearly black, her eyes golden and enhanced by the yellow brushing up over her brow.  Her long hair is a brilliant red, short, choppy bangs over her forehead, her braid dancing in the wind caused by the flames.  Her arms and legs are covered in fat golden stripes, mirroring the shine of her eyes.  Her attire is simple, a sweeping black top over a rustling orange skirt that splits down the front, flaring out, and her orange boots tiptoe through the fire as she steps closer to him, bending to a knee.  She is unharmed by the flames, even as they lick over her skin.

 

“So cold,” she murmurs, and Jack flinches as her hand approaches him again.  Tears spill out of his eyes, and he tries to hold still, tries not to let her see how cold he isn’t.  “Oh,” she sighs when her hands falls to his cheek, and Jack sobs, “Oh, you’re dying, how lovely.  You feel warm even to me.  The spirit of winter, reduced to rosy cheeks and emanating heat.  Whatever will your darling element think of you?”

 

Jack’s eyes flash to her, shining with a burst of ice.  The element of fire laughs as he does, releasing his face.  He can already feel the skin flaking and burning off.  “Oh, you don’t know?” she says, laughing again.  “Let me tell you a story, Jack Frost.  One day, a rock slide killed a boy, and the next morning, out rose the spirit of spring, Casey.  My sister, the element of earth, Willow, was there to greet him.  Many, many years later, the spirit of summer, Vera, finally acknowledged the presence of the elements, and thus my other sister, the element of water, Maya, appeared to her.  I have met my spirit—Damon, of autumn.  Nasty man, if I’m honest, I can’t bear to be around him, and yet, he’s _my_ spirit.  Every element has a spirit, and yours is a god awful nightmare.  She makes things _so_ difficult, always gathering Willow and Maya to her, calling for their aid.  But what about Aysh?  No, of course not.  I cause death and destruction, why would I be wanted?  Just like you, Jack Frost.  You bring the cold.  No one wants that, and no one wants you.  Why do you think you’ve been here so long?  The guardians aren’t looking for you, and my sisters certainly aren’t.  I’ve looked into it, too, and the world is just as it always has been, waves in the ocean, flowers in the ground, a breeze to disturb it all.  They don’t care, not about me, and certainly not about you.  Oh yes, this should be fun indeed.”

 

Aysh stands, retreating, and Jack tips his head back, struggling to breathe.  He’d always had his suspicions, sometimes even thought he saw a flash of long white hair, but he’d never been sure, and now he’ll never meet her.  He realizes as his vision fades that Aysh didn’t tell him her sister’s name.

 

\--

 

When Iris wakes, she is surrounded by snow, snuggled deep inside the ground, and she lays there for some time, thinking about Jack hibernating in his cave.  She’s spent so many nights hovering in the middle of the cave, afraid to approach him, afraid to disturb him.  She loves it best during winter, when he’s awake and so full of energy, soaring through the air, she always at his side, pulling him with her.

 

Eventually, she rises out of the ground, sending a flurry of snow through the air as she travels back to the pole, and ripples cross over the surface of Maya’s bowl as she comes in through the window.  She settles atop a dresser, sinking cross-legged onto the surface.  She always liked that about Jack, how he would sit atop his staff and curl up on high places, away from everyone like Iris did when she was younger, when she and her sisters still interacted on a daily basis.

 

With a sigh, she jumps from the dresser, landing soundlessly on the floor, and she cups her hands together, waiting until the sound of a small cyclone echoes in her ears, and then she unfolds her hands, letting her war gear tumble to the ground.  She dresses slowly, pulling on a skirt that Willow gifted her, white leaves of different lengths settling around her thighs.  Over it, her shirt is the same light blue as her eyes, the collar dipping in a v, the bottom flaring out over her skirt on either side, and the sleeves coming up a little off her shoulders.  Her arms and legs are bare, her freckled white skin vulnerable, but she’s always worked best when she can call her wind close to her.  Her boots are higher now, though still white, and she tugs these on last, just as the pile of earth on Willow’s bed is slowly stirring and falling to the floor.  When Iris loops her blue cloak around her shoulders, white hair spilling over it and settling on the ground, Willow raises her head, yawning.

 

“Morning already?” she grumbles, and then she’s stepping out of the pile and going over to stick a finger in Maya’s water.  Maya awakens with a soft noise, glaring at Willow as she rises.  Iris answers the knock on the door as her sisters stretch and get ready, and Tooth floats on the other side, wings beating furiously behind her.

 

“Hello, Tooth,” Iris greets.

 

“Iris,” Tooth says with a slight nod of her head, “I tried to talk her out of it, but—” she breaks off as Baby zips into the room, coming to a stop just before Iris.  “She’s very fond of Jack,” Tooth sighs, “She hoped that she might join us.”

 

Iris looks over to Baby, smiling, “Of course you can.  If I recall correctly, you prefer to ride shotgun?”  Baby nods furiously, smiling, and, at Iris’ shrug, she settles on her shoulder, just inside the curtain of her hair.

 

“So, do you have a plan?” Tooth asks after a moment.

 

“We do, but we’d like to talk to all of you, together.”

 

“Right.  Well, the boys are gathered, if you’re ready.”

 

The three follow Tooth out to the lounge where a fire is still roaring, and North, Sandy, and Bunny immediately stand up as the women arrive.  Iris looks at her sisters before stepping forward.  “Willow and Maya were skeptical on whether or not this would work, but I have faith,” she says, “You were able to see us, and you can mostly see Jace, but I need you also to believe in Adrian and Leah.”

 

“They’re real,” Bunny says after a moment, “Okay, this is—awesome.  How exactly do we find them?”

 

“Willow has spoken with our mother recently,” Iris explains, “She can summon her.”

 

“In Brazil,” Willow adds, and, when Iris looks over at her, she says, “Listen, it’s one thing to summon _me_ in the middle of this arctic wasteland, but you honestly think mum’s gonna let that fly?  Not a chance.  She likes Brazil, though I don’t actually know if she’ll be there.  Sometimes, she goes to Africa and Australia.  It’s our best bet to try there first, though.  That’s where I last saw her.”

 

“Vera might know, as well,” Maya says, “It’s her season, she sees a lot more than the rest of us right now.”

 

“Okay,” Iris says, “Maya and I will find Vera.  The rest of you will go with Willow to Brazil.  Send us word if she’s not there, okay?”

 

“And how am I supposed to do that?” Willow says, “Listen, I’m not like you and Maya, I can’t just whisper into the wind and send my tidings along.”

 

“You should go with them,” Maya says, touching Iris’ arm, “I can find Vera, and you can call to us when you’ve found mum.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Of course.  I think I might need to travel with you to Brazil, though, to find a water source to travel.”

 

“It’s settled, then.  South America, here we come,” North booms, shaking his globe, and the three sisters watch the portal open warily.  With a laugh, North jumps through, and Bunny just sighs dejectedly before following.  Tooth and Sandy leave next, and then the three sisters link hands and step through.

 

\--

 

He’s falling, careening through an endless world of black until the ground rushes up to meet him, and his ribs shatter, the world flaring white and icy as winter betrays him, breaks his body until the pain in his belly fades for a brief flicker only to come back to him with screaming ferocity, clawing at him until he cries out, curling in on himself, and Jack awakens shaking.  His breath rasps in his throat, and he carefully rolls onto his side, forcing his legs to move so he can curl his knees up to him again.  One of his hands falls to his belly, rubbing the naked skin there, trying to ignore the phantom pain that’s so much more real now, and fiery agony lances through him at the thought of his burning staff.  He curls closer, shaking, tears spilling down his face, and he starts when one drips onto his nose and stays there.

 

Blinking, Jack reaches up and scoops the tear onto his finger, bringing it close to his mouth and blowing on it, listening to the tug in his spine he always gets when he pays special attention to a snowflake.  The tear frosts over, and Jack lets out a hollow burst of a laugh, more of an exhale, staring at the tiny icicle until a wave of exhaustion overcomes him, and Jack sags back into the ground.  He realizes, suddenly, that the nightmare was the first remnant of sleep he’s had since he got here.  His hibernation was interrupted, and he isn’t strong enough to fight back yet.  And so, Jack closes his eyes.

 

\--

 

Bunny is having a hard time looking away.  He never thought he’d witness quite a gathering like this, Mother Nature surrounded by her niece, nephew, and daughters.  The summer and spring spirits arrived just as they were stepping out of a portal into Australia, and they’d helped the elements summon Leah, a small, fair-skinned woman with a smattering of freckles over her face and shoulders.  She was covered head to toe in green, her eyes and lips accentuated by the two lines that rose from her eyes to the neatly piled braids on her head.  Her dress, two long petals, faded from a pale green to a much darker one, and a golden crown sparkled atop her head.

 

She stands apart from the guardians now, her lilting voice floating around them as she speaks with her daughters.  Casey, the golden-haired spring spirit, is off with Vera, tired-looking outside of his season, but helping Vera send waves of heat and summer blooms nonetheless.  Casey reminds Bunny of Jack, tall and childlike, his floppy hair only a few shades lighter than his brilliant golden eyes and tunic.  His trousers are a healthy green, as are his fingerless gloves and shoes, and where he is simple colors, Vera is not.  She is a mixture of magenta and light pink, her hair big and crazy with curls, her skin dark, her face made bright by her pink lips and purple freckles.  Her dress is a layer of pink petals over magenta ones, the stamen hanging around her legs while magenta vines crawl up her calves.

 

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Tooth interrupts Bunny’s thoughts, returning his attention to Leah, “I never thought I’d ever meet _Mother Nature_.  Can you only imagine Jace or Adrian taking form?”

 

“They actually prefer it,” Leah’s voice sounds next to Bunny, and he turns, wide-eyed.  “Jace lives on the moon, though I have visited him on occasion.  Adrian and I actually live together, in a castle amongst the clouds.  We very rarely leave our forms.  But that is not why you have called me.”  She smiles as North and Sandy come over, Leah’s daughters remaining behind her while Casey and Vera look up from their work.  “My daughter of fire is not alone,” Leah says softly, frowning, “She has rallied the Nightmare King and the child of Halloween to her side, and she will not be easy to defeat.”

 

Leah spreads her hands suddenly, and the earth beneath her feet splits, taking on the image of heavily white body of water, the shore dotted with strange white sculptures.  “Her lair is beneath the Dead Sea, in the depths below the ocean floor, where the world is unforgiving.”  The image continues to shift, sinking deep below the surface of the salty waters, bursting through the ocean floor where molten lava reigns free.  “Maya and Willow can take you there, but I have one request before you depart.”

 

As the image fades, Leah looks up, and North is the one to nod.  “Casey must return to India,” she says, “It is not his season, and he is much weaker because of that.  This request comes from his father, as well,” Leah adds when Casey looks ready to protest.

 

“ _Jace_?” North asks, brow furrowed.

 

“Aye,” Leah nods, “Please.  Do not unnecessarily endanger Casey.  Vera and my daughters are more than capable.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Casey says, standing, “I cannot ignore my father.  Give Jack my best, and let him know I look forward to the end of winter.  Good luck.”  Without another word, he kicks off the ground and soars away, heading north, and it occurs to Bunny as he watches him go that Jack is the only of the spirits that has a staff.

 

“I have strayed from my duties for too long,” Leah says after a moment, “I’m sorry I cannot be of more help.  My dear children, please know that you are always welcome in my halls.  I know Adrian would be happy to see his sons and daughters for once,” she adds, fixing her gaze on the guardians.

 

“We will visit soon.  And thank you,” Tooth says, taking her hand.

 

After they have all exchange pleasantries and farewells, Leah departs, and Iris speaks to the group, “I can carry everyone until Maya takes over at the Dead Sea.  Guardians, you’ll have to link hands, one of you with Vera.  She’ll catch my current.  Willow—”

 

“Last time I traveled air express, we nearly leveled a town.”

 

“I’ll go with Willow,” Maya offers, “We can switch off when we reach the coast, meet you in the Dead Sea.  We need to hurry, though.  Pitch and Lilith are more powerful at night, so we need to be there by this afternoon.”

 

“Everyone ready?” Iris asks, and North grabs Bunny before he can get twitchy about flying.

 

\--

 

“What is his worst fear?” Aysh asks into the darkness as she stares down at Jack through a glass wall.

 

The darkness recedes until Pitch sighs, standing.  “That was _so_ cool,” a young girl says, stepping out from behind him.  She is Lilith, the child of Halloween, a girl with pale skin and paler eyes, her black hair falling down over face, cut short at the back, her eyes surrounded by the same shade, shadowing her face.  She wears a torn white dress that hangs around her knees, her black cloak swinging around her shoulders, hood drawn up.

 

“He conquered his fear of being forever invisible with _Jamie Bennett_ ,” Pitch snarls, stepping next to Aysh and looking down at the slowly burning Jack.

 

“Don’t be naïve,” Aysh snaps, “It’s buried deeper than that.  He’s falling back into hibernation.  Ruin him, Pitch.”

 

Aysh stalks away, leaving Pitch alone with Lilith, but she knows better than to interrupt him while he works.  The corner of his mouth quirks up as he recalls the last thing Jack the boy saw before the winter spirit was born.  “Death by drowning,” Pitch says before he follows Aysh’s path out of the dark room and down the winding steps to where the fire door resides.

 

\--

 

_Wind, take me home._

Iris smiles, thinking of the first time Jack ventured to Europe.  _Home_ , at the time, had still been the woods outside his old town.  Over time, she’d learned to read his voice and face, to know which home he meant, whether to take him east to New Zealand or west to the town.  He followed his family through the generations without even realizing until Jamie became his first believer, and then the town truly became a home again.

 

Her thoughts drift her west subconsciously until Vera makes a small noise and Iris redirects them.  The journey is short, and she’s just bringing them into a slow descent over the Dead Sea when she falters, a lump rising in her throat until she can’t breathe, can’t taste anything but the frigid current of a frozen lake.  An image of Jack falling through the hole flashes in her mind, and she understands immediately.  It’s Pitch’s turn to torture, and Iris loses the steady current as she starts to freefall, Jack’s fear her own.  She is drowning, and, distantly, she can hear Maya shouting.

 

\--

 

His dream is white and soft until, like a light switch, it’s blue and cold and terrifying.  Jack forces his eyes open, body jerking as he sees nothing but dark water, pulling him deeper.  He lets out a silent scream, struggling until he can’t breathe, the water growing colder and darker as he sinks.  Jack fumbles for his staff, but it isn’t there, and then he stills, snapping his mouth shut.

 

He forces himself to look around, waiting for his hammering heart to calm.  He was born into water, an icy lake frozen over.  He has power and strength here.  Jack lets his eyes close, willing the chill in his core to flare, just enough for a single snowflake, and Pitch will have _nothing_ to hide in the shadows from him.

 

When he opens his eyes next, they’re bright and cold, blue like a winter sky.  Ice crackles around his fingertips, and Jack exhales, his breath a white mist that freezes the water directly in front of him.  He reaches out a hand, grasping at the dark water, his burns screaming in protest.  Somewhere, Pitch gives a shout of surprise.

 

\--

 

Iris blinks, and then she’s surrounded by water.  Willow heaves her up as Maya controls the sea around them.  “Willow, are you ready?” she yells, and Iris barely has time to catch her breath before Willow is pulling her under.  A great rush of noise follows them, and Iris twists to see Maya racing after them, the guardians and Vera not far behind.  When she looks back to Willow, her sister is smirking as she opens the ocean floor they are fast approaching.

 

“ _Here we go_!” Willow shouts, laughing as they’re swallowed by darkness, suffocating, until Iris distinctly sees flames approaching, and she summons a current, fingers blurring as they move.  They burst from the ground into a pit of lava spitting below them.

 

“Go!” Iris says when Willow looks to her.  Iris flares her fingers, palms out, bracing herself as Maya crashes through the earth, everyone else following.  Iris stumbles under the force before steadying herself and calling to Maya, “Help Willow!”

 

Maya runs off as Tooth flutters over to Iris.  “How is Baby?” she yells over the noise of the current.

 

“Quite the thrill-seeker!” Iris laughs, shrugging her left shoulder so that Baby crawls out, giggling.  “I can see why her and Jack get along so well.”

 

Iris diverts her attention below them, watching as Willow carves out chunks of the ceiling to cover the lava while Maya seeks out a break in the walls.  The room plunges into darkness with the last covering of earth, and Iris eases them down.  Maya gives a sudden shout, and Willow finds her to remove a thin line of earth so light streams through, illuminating the group.  “Alright,” Iris begins, looking around at the others, “Jack is probably being kept in the red room.  It’s been quite some time since I’ve been down here, but I can point you in the right direction.  North, Vera, you’ll have to get Jack out of the red room.  He’s fighting, and Vera won’t be able to touch him, but you’ll need her to get in.  You won’t be affected by the heat like we would, so you’ll be fine.  Sandy, Bunny, with us—we’ll find Aysh.”

 

\--

 

Pitch is gone, and the flames are quieter, farther away.

 

Jack lays sprawled on his back, chest heaving, his blue eyes bright but heavy.  Every breath is a chore, smoke dragging through his lungs and making him choke, his pale lips stained crimson.  His body shakes with little tremors, and he feels _cold_ , the bone-deep kind of chill that makes even the winter spirit wish for North’s fireplace.  He welcomes it, though, too ecstatic about actually _being_ cold to care about the kind of cold.  But the trembling moves his body, burned and broken and exhausted, and, with a soft groan, Jack closes his eyes, letting the tears fall freely.  He just wants it to be over, just wants to fall into an endless sleep of white and blue.

 

“Oh _god_ , Jack,” a voice chimes distantly, and he struggles to open his eyes again, to face whichever of the three is going to play with him next.  He hasn’t met Lilith, but Pitch had talked about her, both amused and annoyed with her attention.  “North, stay there a moment.”

 

A whimper escapes Jack’s throat, raw and feeble, at North’s name, and he fights harder, forces his eyes to blink open, sluggish.  The noise rakes through him, and Jack coughs, body shaking with the movement.  He groans again, blood dribbling slowly over his cheek, leaking out of the corner of his mouth.

 

Even the heat of the faraway flames starts to die until Jack can’t hear the noise of them at all anymore, and then a face is swimming before his blurry vision, wild magenta curls, and Jack doesn’t know how he has the strength to muster a smile, but he must because Vera smiles back, one hand hovering over his cheek, afraid to touch him.  “Vera,” he manages to whisper, letting his eyes close again, and then Vera is moving.  He can tell by the scent of her, always a hint of sugary fruit and beaches.

 

“It’s safe,” he hears her say, and then her voice is closer to him again.  “Jack,” she whispers, the scent of her hand hovering near him again, and he blinks his eyes open to look at her face once more.  “Oh, Jack.”  Her face is sad, and he knows what he looks like, knows it’s worse than the last time he dared peek, but he just hums.  “You’re going to be okay now.  Aysh’s sisters are here.  Iris is here.”

 

“Iris,” he mumbles, and Vera nods.

 

“Your element.  The wind, Jack.  She’s here—she’s come to save you.”

 

“Iris.”  And then he can’t hold onto Vera’s face anymore, can’t fight the blackness swimming over him, and he lets go, falls into unconsciousness.

 

Vera looks up as North finally reaches her, looking around the red room warily.  “We have to be quick, I don’t know how long I can hold them at bay,” she says, hands fluttering toward Jack, stilling just before touching him, “Aysh’s tricks have never been able to sustain long in my presence, but she’s strong right now, stronger than I’ve ever seen her.  The red room has never been this _big_ —this—gods, it’s hot in here.”

 

“You’re the summer spirit,” North says distractedly, looking down at Jack.  He’s having trouble swallowing past the lump in his throat as he takes in the little spirit, the boy he’d helped shaped into a man.  He can just see Jack’s smiling face, wide and bright and awed everytime he enters North’s office, can see the resignation slip from easy acceptance, albeit slowly over the years, everytime North offers him a mug of hot chocolate, inviting him to look at his newest ice sculptures.  They’ve spent so much time together at the pole, North can barely stand to see him like this, so far from what he knows Jack can be, so far from freezing elves and braiding the yeti’s hair and causing mischief and helping with the toys.

 

“North,” Vera’s voice brings him back, and North nods, immediately shrugging out of his jacket.  He can’t look at him like this, not now.  He carefully lays it next to Jack, transferring him onto it before he bundles him up and holds him close, nods for Vera to lead the way back.  As they reach the fire door, flames start to lick over the ceiling, and Vera hurries through, slamming the door shut when North is through.  Jack’s head lolls against North, settling against his broad chest, and North just tightens his arms around him, nodding to Vera.

 

“Maya is waiting at the cave.  She’ll transport us back up.”

 

“And from there?”

 

Vera pauses, looking around a corner.  When she turns her gaze back up to North, she has a strange expression on her face.  “I have an idea of what’s going to happen, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”  And then she’s hurrying down the hall, and North has no choice but to follow.

 

\--

 

She can see it dangling around Aysh’s neck, a little black pouch, and it makes her blood boil.

 

“ _Iris_!” Willow’s voice is shrill, and it makes her turn, a split second glance before she gives Lilith’s cloak a final yank, tearing it from her shoulders.  The small girl shrieks, reaching for it desperately, and Iris fists a section of it in her hand, lets her eyes shine as the wind tears it to pieces.  With a roar, Lilith lunges for her, her power draining with the destruction of her cloak, and Iris catches her around the throat, squeezing until she chokes, nails clawing at Iris’ hand and arm.

 

“Hush, child,” Iris growls, and Lilith’s eyes roll into the back of her head at the cyclone circling around her head, extinguishing her supply of oxygen.

 

“ _Iris_!”  Willow is suddenly there, tugging on her shoulder.  Iris looks behind her, finally seeing Tooth struggling on the ground, Vera running down the hall toward them, and Sandy locked in battle with Pitch.  “We have to _go_ ,” Willow says as Iris lets the cyclone drop, Lilith sagging to the ground.

 

“Where did Aysh go?”

 

“She’s setting the bloody place on fire,” Bunny says as he comes to a halt beside her, “We have to get out of here, and _now_.”

 

Iris pauses a moment before shaking her head and lifting Lilith.  “Take her,” she says to Willow, shoving the child toward her, “Adrian will want to deal with her.  Help Sandy, and get out of here,” she directs to Bunny, “Vera can help Tooth.  Baby—” she breaks off, reaching for the small faerie, and Baby trills loud and clear, staring hard at Iris.  After a moment, Iris nods, “Okay, but only if you’re sure.”  Baby nods furiously, making a soft little trill that Iris smiles at.  She turns to her sister, and Willow looks away.  “Willow, I have to.”

 

“For Jack or for yourself?” Willow snaps, looking back to her with a glare.

 

Iris looks over to where Bunny has sent Pitch staggering, and the Nightmare King looks up and around him, fear in his eyes before he sinks into the shadows, racing down the hall.  Sandy and Bunny take their opportunity, hurrying in the opposite direction to where Vera is helping Tooth back toward the cave.  “For Jack,” she says finally, meeting Willow’s gaze, “She has the ashes of his staff in a pouch around her neck.”

 

Willow frowns, brow furrowed, and Iris nods.  “Okay,” Willow sighs, “Do you want me to stay?”

 

“No.  Tell—tell Jack I’ll find him.  I will _always_ find him.”  Willow smiles sadly at her sister before hurrying off, Lilith in her arms.  When Iris turns, she can already feel the heat of Aysh’s approaching fire, and she calls the wind to her, fingers swirling at her sides.  A soft touch on her arm makes her turn, and she nods as she finds Maya standing next to her.  Her sister just cups her hands together, grinning wickedly.

 

\--

 

_August 25._

Willow smiles as she passes by North’s office where he’s humming to himself while he chips away at a small sculpture of a snowflake.  The workshop beyond is bustling with activity, elves scurrying around bothering the working yetis, and Willow carefully navigates her way through, snatching cookies at random as she goes.  When she reaches the elevator, Phil nods to her, and she’s reminded of the supplies in her leaf bag.  She nods back, suddenly somber, and she takes the elevator up, munching slowly on a green sugar cookie and trying not to think about Vera’s face when Willow had found them without Maya.

 

Bunny is just arriving when she reaches the top floor, and he hops over.  “How is he?”

 

Willow sighs, starting left where Jack’s room lies.  While most of the inhabited rooms are held in the east wing, Jack’s room is subarctic cold, and so they’ve separated him.  “The same, mostly.  Sandy is still sending dreamsand periodically to maintain peace of mind, and Tooth has figured out a way to keep him nourished.  Baby even managed to convince the elves to make her fitting clothes so she can stay near him.  Apparently, they’re quite handy with a needle.  How is everything?”

 

It’s Bunny’s turn to sigh, “Vera is doing all she can to make up for Maya’s foolishness, and I’ve been to see her a few times to help, but she’s not doing well.  Summer is overwhelming her, and she can’t even see it happening.  She’s too distracted not knowing whether or not Maya is still alive, still with Iris.  And then there have been rumors that Casey left hibernation again.”

 

Willow ignores the stab at her sister in favor of her curiosity, “To do what, exactly?”

 

“I haven’t the slightest idea, but it’s bloody hot out there.  _Woah_ ,” he adds as they enter the west wing.

 

Their breath puffs white, and everything crawls with ice.  “He’s still fighting.  If only we could awaken him,” Willow says, drawing her borrowed jacket tighter around her usual attire, her bare skin covered in goosebumps.

 

“Has Sandy tried anything?”

 

“We all have.  Nothing seems to work.  We’re starting to make plans for mid-September, for when he should wake.”  Bunny nods, not respond because now they’ve reached Jack’s room, the door frozen solid with ice, a small flurry of snow falling constantly from the ceiling.  Inside, Jack lies on a bed of white, ice and snow fusing with his body, healing him slowly.

 

The elves already had a pair of brown pants sewn to his size when they returned, and he wears only those.  It had been amazing to watch as they laid him upon the bed of snow, legs covered, and the first of the frost had come, crawling up his shins and patterning the hem of his pants before it was exploding outward, dancing around the room.

 

Tooth is asleep in a rocking chair by the bed, bundled up in furs, and Baby is curled up on Jack’s collarbone, just a tiny ball of fur.  “Less pink,” Bunny notices, and Willow nods before going over to perch on the edge of the bed, opening her leaf bag.  Inside, amongst the herbs are a few rolls of gauze, and she gets to work changing his dressings, Bunny helping.

 

\--

 

_September 3._

He can feel it, the steady pulse that drums alongside his own heart, holding everything he is in that _thump thump_.  It’s strong and heavy, and growing, and he fights through the dreamsand, shaking off the exhaustion and pain until his blue eyes open with a gasp.  “ _Jack_ ,” a beautiful voice says, and he looks to the window.

 

Iris watches him wake, knowing it’s not her presence that has willed him, but the pouch clutched in her hand.  She says his name, already clambering through the window, and he looks over, _seeing_ her.  Iris stops, shock holding her still, until he starts to move, groaning against the pain.  She hurries forward, holding him still.  “Careful,” she whispers, “You’re still injured.”

 

Jack’s eyes are wide, so blue and so clear, and so, _so_ cold, it makes Iris’ heart swell, and she wants so badly to pull him into her arms and never let him go.  And then he speaks, “Iris?”

 

Jack can feel the chill of her hand as it stop him from moving, can feel the wind rustle restlessly as she settles in front of him.  Her white hair moves around him, the blue ends slowly falling to the floor, and, when he says her name, watching the emotion of finally being _seen_ flood her eyes, he reaches up a white hand to slide into that hair.  His fingers settle over her head, thumb stroking up over her temple, brushing over the freckles, both natural and blue.

 

Everything about her is cool to the touch, chilled even further by him, and he forgets the _thump thump_ in the black pouch still clutched in her hand in favor of the pulse quickening under his hand.  There’s a moment of quiet, the wind dying and the snow ceasing, but one flake still catches Iris on the nose, and she breaks into a wide smile, surging forward to hug him tightly, face buried in his neck.

 

Jack sighs, returning the embrace, pulling her closer until she’s settled in his lap, curled against him.  “You were always there, at the corner of my eye.  Why didn’t you ever push further?  Iris, I—” he breaks off as she leans back, tears shining in her blue eyes.

 

“I was— _so afraid_.  I didn’t—I didn’t know if you could ever love me, not after that day, the first day.”

 

Jack shakes his head, and then he’s pulling her back to him, tipping his chin to kiss her, a cold so deep it makes his bones rattle in the best way exploding between them.  Like a switch, Iris kisses back, hands coming up to curl around his bare biceps, fingers digging into the muscle there.  Jack holds her close, hands tangled in her long hair, breaking apart to breathe, cool and crisp in his lungs, before his mouth finds hers again, hungry.

 

The pouch falls with a thud suddenly, and a gasp tears between them, a sharp inhale they share.  “Jack,” she says softly, eyes flickering over his face.  He lifts the pouch in his hand, trembling.  “Can you heal it?”  He nods, and Iris deflates a little, relieved.

 

“Aysh?” he asks, gaze finding her again.

 

“Not now.”

 

“Iris.”  She stills, mapping the pattern of his snowflake eyes until all she sees is him.  When Jack shifts, Iris is feather light, and he can see the smile she fights as he lays on his side, settling her beside him.  “I have always loved you,” he says, and she stops fighting and kisses him softly, “And I always will.”

 

“Jack,” she sighs, curling closer to him.  He holds her tightly, letting sleep take him again, finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> OH, OKAY. I GUESS IT’S OVER. Endings always take me by surprise, but I usually end up really liking them. And I actually really, really enjoyed this one. But, enough of me, here’s the deal. So, this is part two. As you can see, definitely can be read separately from part one, though also definitely a precursor for part three. And, on the topic of part three, it will be rated higher, and there will be sex in it, though nothing explicit or crazily smutty, so don’t get your knickers all in a twist. Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to more. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts!


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